Australia
AICW Austria
Steyr AUG Steyr ACR Belgium
FN FAL FN FNC FN F2000 FN SCAR Brazil
IMBEL MD-2 IMBEL MD-97 LAPA FA 03 Canada
Diemaco C7A1 C7A2 C8 China, People Republic of
Type 56 Type 63 Type 81 Type 86s Type 95 / QBZ-95 Type 03 / QBZ-03 CQ M311 Croatia
APS-95 VHS Czech Republic / Czechoslovakia
SA Vz.58 Finland
Valmet Sako Rk.62 / 76 / 95 Valmet M82 France
FAMAS Germany
MKb.42(H) MKb.42(W) MP-43 MP-44 Stg.44 Stg.45(M) HK G3 HK HK33 & HK53 HK G41 HK G36 HK G11 HK 416 HK 417 Great Britain
Enfield EM-2 SA80 / L85 India
INSAS Iran
Khaybar KH2002 Italy
Beretta BM 59 Beretta AR-70/223 & AR-70/90 Beretta ARX-160 Israel
Galil Tavor TAR-21Japan
Type 64 Type 89 Russia / USSR
Fedorov avtomat AK-47 AKM upd
AK-74 AKS-74 upd
AKS-74U upd
AK-101 AK-103 AK-102/104/105 AK-107/108 AN-94 Abakan AEK-971 OC-14 Groza AS Val SR-3 Vikhr9A-91 A-91M APS underwater ASM-DT dual medium Korobov TKB-408 Korobov TKB-517Korobov TKB-022Baryshev AB-7,62 AVB-7,62 Singapore
CIS SAR-80 CIS SR-88 ST Kinetics SAR-21 South Africa
Vector CR-21 South Korea
Daewoo K1 & K2 Spain
CETME mod. A, B, 58 and C CETME mod. L and LC Sweden
Bofors AK5 Interdynamics MKS Interdynamics MKR Switzerland
SIG 510 / Stgw.57 SIG 540 / 542 / 543 SIG 550 / 551 / 552 Taiwan
T65 T86 T91 Ukraine
Vepr USA
Armalite AR-10 M14 M16 M16A1 M16A2 Colt CAR-15 XM-177 Colt M4 M4A1 Stoner 63 TRW LMR Bushmaster M17s Ruger AC-556 Mini 14GB Armalite AR-18 XM8 XM29 OICW RobArm M96 XCR FN Mk.16 Mk.17 SCAR Z-M Weapons LR-300 Para USA TTRHeckler-Koch HK G36 assault rifle (Germany)
HK G36 assault rifle (standard German army version with dual sight system) with 40mm AG36 underbarrel grenade launcher
Image: Heckler-Koch
HK G36E rifle (Export version) with single 1.5X telescope sight and spare magazine clamped to the left side of the inserted one.
Image: Heckler-Koch 
HK G36 assault rifle with optional accessory kit which includes forearm with four Picatinny rails and a low-profile scope rail on the receiver
Image: Heckler-Koch
HK G36K "short" (Kurz) assault rifle, with buttstock folded; standard version with iron sights and Picatinny rail
Image: Heckler-Koch
HK G36KE short assault rifle, export version, with 'E' type telescope sight / carrying handle setup
Image: Heckler-Koch
The
AK-47, the most widely used assault rifle in the world
An assault rifle is a
rifle designed for
combat, with
selective fire (capable of shooting either
like a machine gun or
one bullet at a time). Assault rifles are the standard
infantry weapons in most modern
armies, having largely superseded or supplemented
battle rifles (which are similar to assault rifles but are larger and more powerful) such as the
World War II-era
M1 Garand and
SVT-40. Examples of assault rifles include the
AK-47, the
M16 rifle, and the
Steyr AUG.
Contents[
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[
edit] Definition
The term assault rifle is a translation of the
German word Sturmgewehr (literally meaning "storm rifle"), "storm" used as a verb being synonymous with assault, as in "to storm the compound". Sturmgewehr was coined by
Adolf Hitler[1] to describe the Maschinenpistole 44, subsequently re-christened
Sturmgewehr 44, the firearm generally considered the first true assault rifle that served to popularize the concept.
The translation assault rifle gradually became the common term for similar firearms sharing the same technical definition as the StG 44. In a strict definition, a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:
[2][3][4]It must be an individual weapon with provision to fire from the shoulder (i.e. a
buttstock);
It must be capable of
selective fire;
It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a
pistol but less than a standard
rifle or
battle rifle;
Its
ammunition must be supplied from a detachable
box magazine.
Semi-automatic rifles that share designs with assault rifles such as the
AR-15 (which the
M-16 rifle is based on) and semi-automatic-only versions of the
AK-47 are not assault rifles, as they are not capable of switching to automatic fire and thus not selective fire. Belt-fed weapons (such as the
M249 SAW) or rifles with fixed magazines are likewise not assault rifles.
The term "assault rifle" is often more loosely used for commercial or [[Assault rifle#Assault weapons vs. Automatic weaponspolitical reasons] to include other types of arms, particularly arms that fall under a strict definition of the
battle rifle, or
semi-automatic variant of military rifles such as
AR-15sThe US Army defines assault rifles as "short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachinegun and rifle cartridges".
[5] [
edit] Assault weapons vs. Automatic weapons
Primarily limited to the
United States, the term
assault weapon is a
political term, separate from the military definition, used to describe a variety of
semi-automatic firearms that have certain features associated with military or police firearms, which are optimized for combat situations against human targets. The 1994
Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which expired on
September 13,
2004, defined the rifle type of assault weapon as a semiautomatic firearm with the ability to accept a
detachable magazine, and two or more of the following:
Folding or telescoping stock
Conspicuous
pistol gripBayonet mount
Flash suppressor, or threaded barrel designed to accommodate one
Grenade launcherBarrel shroudA common public misconception persists[
citation needed] that the assault weapons ban restricted weapons capable of fully automatic fire, such as assault rifles and
machine guns. Fully automatic weapons, however, were unaffected by the ban, and have been continuously and heavily regulated since the
National Firearms Act of 1934 was passed. Subsequent laws such as the
Gun Control Act of 1968 and the
Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 also affected the importation and civilian ownership of fully automatic firearms, the latter fully prohibiting sales of newly-manufactured machine guns to non-law enforcement or SOT (special occupational taxpayer) dealers.
Questions over the definition, manufacture, sale and ownership of assault weapons still continue; supporters of the
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the
National Rifle Association constantly debate these topics. The Brady Campaign's position has been that it is unnecessary for civilians to have such weapons, they are designed to incur an emotional response from potential victims above and beyond the sight of other guns, and they have high ammunition capacities and fire rates that make them dangerous in the hands of a criminal. The NRA contends that such weapons are no more dangerous than "hunting-styled" semi-automatic rifles (and in fact, hunting rifles generally use more powerful cartridges than assault weapons), that an insignificant portion of crimes are committed with such weapons, that many of the premises under which the criteria were chosen are false (such as a pistol grip's only purpose being to facilitate "spray fire" from waist level; the pistol grip actually makes the shoulder-fired position more ergonomic), and that the Brady Campaign wishes to use the term, along with the similar term "
sniper rifle", to encompass an ever-widening group of "scary weapons" that, if unchecked, would eventually include most or all firearms.[
citation needed]
Many of these automatic firearms used the same rounds as in older eras, but developed new layout designs, materials, and features, like standard
telescopic and
reflex sights.
In the 1980s and 1990s, high velocity, smaller-caliber ammunition was becoming the standard of assault rifle ammunition. Following the trend set by the United States (which went from 7.62x51mm to 5.56x45mm), the
Soviet Union developed its own smaller-caliber cartridge: the
5.45x39mm. In 1974, the 5.45x39
AK-74 became the successor to the
AK-47/
AKM series. Though AK-74s began utilizing synthetic materials as opposed to wood, the weapon largely maintained the design of the
AK-47.
China in the 1980s introduced the
5.8x42mm DBP87 round, to compete with the assault rifle rounds of NATO and Russia.
One notable development in ammunition in the 1970–1980s was the
German Heckler & Koch G11 rifle, which used 4.73 mm
caseless ammunition. Because of
German reunification and heat-dissipation issues with the caseless ammunition, the rifle never entered full production.
New developments were rifle designs that utilized modularity, new form factors, sights, electronics, and new materials. A number of
bullpup rifles entered service in the late 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Although bullpup design had existed since the 1930s, the
United Kingdom's
EM-2 was one of the few bullpup assault rifles prior to this time. Examples of the trend include the
FAMAS,
Steyr AUG, and
SA80. All three are bullpup rifles that make heavy use of composites and plastics, the FAMAS and AUG both have ambidextrous controls, and the AUG, and SA80 both added a low-power
telescopic sight to the standard service version. The
QBZ-95,
SAR-21, and the
Tavor TAR-21 follow a similar trend as well, with a bullpup configuration and heavy use of composites.
The
Heckler & Koch G36, adopted in the late 1990s by
Spain and
Germany, had integral
telescopic and
red dot sights and a composite exterior. The G36C, a compact variant, featured a different barrel assembly, a shorter foregrip, and a
Picatinny rail in place of the standard sight assembly to accommodate a detachable sight.
Through the 1990s, modular accessories for use on rifles, of a variety of types, started to become widespread with the rapidly increasing practice of mounting
Picatinny pattern rails on firearms. This was primarily driven by the growing visibility and number of tactical police, counter-terrorist units, SWAT teams, special forces, and other groups that desired the capability to specifically tailor their weapons.
Tactical lights, visible lasers, weapon
suppressors infrared lights, drum magazines, ergonomic accessories (such as vertical foregrips), folding or collapsible
stocks, and a plethora of other options appeared. As these options became available to civilians, customization of weapons other than assault rifles, such as the
SKS rifle became common.
Intertwined with the growth of the modular accessories was the concept of rifles being modular themselves. While some assault rifles can be modified through the use of attachments (such as the
M4 carbine with
SOPMOD), other assault rifles like the
H&K G36, can have their entire function modified. The G36 can be converted from a standard rifle to a compact
carbine for closer engagements or a
squad automatic weapon for support, simply by swapping parts. Interchangeable or quick-detachable barrel assemblies of different lengths are emerging for some weapons, with retrofit kits to provide similar capabilities on older types. The
AR-15 in particular has an entire industry that has grown to make variations of every component of the rifle. A variety of upper receivers of many types of operation (bolt, direct gas impingement, gas piston, blowback) are manufactured that allow the weapon to fire different ammunition than the standard assault rifle round (from small target rounds such as
.22 LR to pistol rounds such as
.380 ACP) without permanently changing the rifle. Because of developments in modularity, AK-variant rifles can fire
5.56x45mm NATO rounds (used by the M16), and M16s can fire AK rounds.
[
edit] 21st Century Developments
Example of alternate cartridge rifle (GCS)
Larger caliber
7.62x51mm NATO weapons are regaining popularity in modern conflicts. In
Iraq and
Afghanistan the 7.62x51mm NATO is useful for its longer range, increased lethality
[12], and improved penetration of walls.
Israel's
IMI Tavor TAR-21 is a 21st-century assault rifle than continues earlier trends of design: it has a bullpup layout, uses the
5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, can be set up for left- or right- handed shooters, exists in several modular variants, is made of lightweight composite materials, and comes standard with a
reflex sight.
The XM8's modular variants.
The United States has funded development of a replacement for the M16 rifle. In the 1990s, the US spent millions on the
Objective Individual Combat Weapon program, to create a more advanced combat rifle. The
XM29 OICW rifle design was finalized in in the early 2000s- it featured an integrated
laser rangefinder,
thermal vision and
night vision capabilities, and an integral
smart grenade launcher. The project was cancelled in 2004. The American
XM8 rifle was another experimental development. Based on the
Heckler & Koch G36 it had similar features, but added electronics such as a
laser sight, round counter, and integral
infrared and visible lights. The XM8 was a modular design: the rifle could fulfill different roles by changing the parts. Weapons manufacturer
Heckler and Koch has also created a redesigned
M4 assault rifle. The new weapons, the
HK416 (firing 5.56x45 NATO) and the
HK417 (firing 7.62x51 NATO), have updated features, but are not completely different weapons platforms. They feature a piston (not gas-operated) action, Picatinny rails, a drop free magazine release, a bolt that is sealed from the action (reducing dirt, heat and chance of failure) and other additions.
[
edit] The future
Small arms technology including the assault rifle can be described as a
mature technology, meaning that no major technology changes can be expected in this area. Howevoer, minor improvements can still be expected that make the assault rifle more effective and efficient to accommodate the changes on the
battlefield. As
personal body armor improves, for example from the development of
Magnetorheological_fluid-based
smart materials, assault rifle design will be forced to adapt.
The
FN SCAR.
As weapons evolve, the delicate balance for assault rifle systems between power, weight, recoil and terminal effects will likely shift once again in an attempt to defeat body armor, to match the range of full-power cartridges, and to penetrate through windshields and thin-skinned vehicles while still producing good terminal effects. Possible future directions are
armor piercing or
saboted sub-caliber
tungsten darts, more powerful cartridges, application of new composite materials such as
carbon fiber or
carbon nanotubes, and use of exotic metals such as
titanium and
scandium.
The future of the assault rifle may not be entirely in the design of the firearm itself, but rather in the ammunition it fires. Reducing weight and cost being one of the original reasons for the development of the intermediate powered round and subsequently the assault rifle, that goal has been taken to a whole new level with the development of
caseless ammunition which does away with the weight and cost of shell casings. Limitations of current technology prevent this idea from being successful but the concept is still being researched
The 7,62x54R Nikitin PN machine gun, from pre-production batch made in 1960 for final troops trials. This gun was almost adopted by Soviet army but then mysteriously lost final trials to Kalashnikov PK
AT4 launcher tube (fired) and grenade in in-flight configuration, with stabilizator 
fins extended
